How to build a successful home page

 

A prospective client recently came to us with the question “how can we improve our website?” At first glance, the site seemed sufficient. The company had invested in a strong logo with consistent branding. The site looked professionally produced, with pleasing colors and images. After that, there was trouble.

What Do You DO?

 

Looking at the site more closely I could not immediately determine exactly what the company offered and how it could help me. I clicked four buttons located “above the fold” on the home page. The buttons sent me to different websites, replacing the original site’s window.

After retuning with the browser’s back button, my eye went to a paragraph “below the fold.” This content had good information, which provided a clearer understanding. But these days users prefer not to scroll down long pages, nor read large paragraphs on the Web.

Don’t Bury All Your Information

True, not everything can fit on a home page. Sites must have subpages to provide more information. If users are qualified prospects, genuinely interested in the topic, they will search a site to find details. But we have to get them to stay on a site long enough to do that, and not frustrate them. Important information from subpages may need to come forward, even if just to serve as brief introductory lead-ins.

When users visit a website today they want to know within 30 seconds how that website can help them. What is the main product or service that can relieve the users’ issues? What makes this company a better choice than competing business who offer the same/similar service or product? Communicate that, not just with textual content but also with images. If I do nothing but visit a company’s home page—don’t get to any of the subpages at all—I should at least walk away with that information.

When constructing your website’s home page, consider these points:

• What makes your company better than your competitors?
• Why do your clients choose you?
• How do you solve their problems/pains?
• What is the demographic or description of your typical client?
• What is your biggest challenge in getting new customers?

A successful website will address these issues. If not fully on the home page itself, that initial page will indicate where to find answers to these points quickly, usually within one click.

 

Need more help? D Media provides website design, copywriting, photography, programming, page construction, and more. Visit our website portfolio and then contact us to start the process for your site.

 

Definition: “page fold” concept is the importance of keeping the most significant information within a page’s initial viewable area. That is, “above the fold” simply means “viewable without further action.”